Recently I’d to answer a question: What do you consider your career best performance to date in a triathlon?
Hard question, not easy to answer. I discovered triathlon in 2014 and I’m racing since 2015. That make three seasons.
In 2015 I’d had a lot of „good“ races. Good in the meaning of I was satisfied. But not best performance races. The swim legs were slow (started swimming in December 2014), bike was good, but nothing in comparison to the best bikers and to my today’s fitness. Running was a different beast. The most runs were pretty decent and some were a blast. Especially the runs in a double race weekend. Wanted a good ranking for our club in the local state league. So I ran and tried to catch a lot of athletes on the run. I started spontaneously on the next day in a half-distance triathlon. Swam slow, biked comfortable easy and finished with a top run split and ranked surprisingly third in my age group in the State Championships.
For the beginning of the 2016 season a double race was scheduled and I was prepared. Sprint triathlon on Saturday, half-distance on Sunday. I would set the half-distance race on the shortlist for best performance. Swim was better but still slow. Bike was good, run as well. Finished 8th in the age group (on day after a sprint triathlon). Midseason I attended to a big international triathlon. Swim was slow, bike and run very decent. Finished 12th in age group. And it was a big age group! Shortlist. In the later season 2016 a second double race was scheduled. Swim was better, bike good, run good, but blew up on the last kilometers. Flüchtest and finished 5th of the age group and 3rd in the state championship age group ranking. I’d put it on the shortlist.
2017 was about my first IRONMAN. No double races. But started the season with a half-distance race. The taper wasn’t like I planned it. The swim in race day was good! Yes things going to get better. Out of this position I wanted a new PB. On the bike I didn’t find the flow but entered T2 in a good position. On the run I blew completely up. It was a extreme hot day and pushed to much. But the heat was hard for everyone. Finished 5th in the age group, but no PB. Shortlist! Next race to mention: IRONMAN Hamburg. The big day! Swim was good. But get my toenail kicked away. Biked with a bloody foot. On the bike I had several mechanical issues and was about 20 minutes standing at the side of the road. The run was absolutely a blast! Didn’t managed to go sub 10h in my first IRONMAN. But that’s IRONMAN. Shortlist!
Let’s look in the shortlist:
2016 – Limmer Half-Distance
- Weak swim
- Strong bike and run
- Top 10 in age group
2016 – Hamburg World Triathlon
- Weak swim
- Decent bike and run
- 12th in age group, big starter field
2016 – NordseeMan Half-Distance
- Swim getting better
- Strong bike and run
- Blew up on the last kilometers
- Top 5 age group, podium age group state championships
2017 – Limmer Half-Distance
- Good swim
- Okay bike, problems on the run
- Top 5 in age group
2017 – IRONMAN Hamburg
- Good swim
- Injured at Australien Exit
- Bike with mechanical problems
- Strong marathon
- 45th of age group
So what was the best performance?
As I said, not easy to answer. I think I didn’t had my best race yet, cause I had big improvements in all three disciplines over the last training blocks. And compared with the recent training, I didn’t hat my best performance yet. But what was the best performance to date?
In the end it comes close between 2016 NordseeMan, 2017 Limmer and 2017 IRONMAN Hamburg. Both races wasn’t perfect. But started with a good swim and I was able to mange the problems and had a solid finish.
My choice was NordseeMan cause I think it was a reference of what I was capable at this point. In case of the IRONMAN, it was the first on and I think there is too much too to grew and learn.